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The Rotary Opens Opportunities Banner A Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bangalore Cantonment

Volume XXXVII Issue #9 Water and Sanitation Month March 2021

President Rtn. Ravi Narasimhan INTERACT RYLA Immediate Past President Rtn. Bharath Bail be put-to. It was very interesting to note that students came up with 18 different President-Elect ideas regarding the use of paperclip! Rtn. Vinod John Each of the five competitive events had first Secretary and second prizes. Out of the ten prizes that Rtn. Gargi Ojha were up for the grab, Shishu Mandir bagged four (one first and three second prizes), Little Angels Modern High School three (all first Director - Club Service Rtn. G. K. Ravikumar prizes), TREP two (one first and one second prize) and Sri Guru Harkishan High school Director - Community Service one (second prize). The winners were given Rtn. Karthik Seshagiri prizes in the form of books. This year Best Rylaite prize was introduced which was bagged by Kumari Ashwini of Shishu Mandir Director - Vocational Service Rtn. Prashanth Nair who received three prizes: one first and two second prizes. Another new feature of this Director - International Service year was the introduction of a Running Rtn. Shabbir Choilawala The first major event of Youth Services Trophy for the best school, which was Committee in this Rotary year was Interact worked out by considering the marks Director - Youth Service RYLA held on Saturday, 27 February 2021 at obtained by all the participating students Rtn. D. P. Sabharwal Shishu Mandir. 64 students from five schools from each school in all the events. The (Little Angels Modern High Trophy was won by TREP Treasurer School, Rotary Chennapatna, students whose aggregate Rtn. V. Ramachandran Sri Guru Harkishan High score was 206.7 marks against School, Shishu Mandir and 202. 4 scored by Shishu Sergeant-at-arms TREP, Yelahanha) attended Mandir. Rtn. Rohit Karanth observing all safety norms A 'Certificate of Participation' concerning Covid-19. and a Book 'Play with Joint Secretary The programme started at Proverbs' was given to all the Rtn. R. Radhi 8.30 a.m with breakfast and participants sponsored by Rtn came to an end at 3.15 pm after prize Ravi Narasimhan and Rtn Co-opted Director distribution. There were five competitive Seshagiri. The Prizes were given away by the Rtn. Arvind Gokhale events namely Personality Quiz, Tickle your first lady of the club Ann Indrani Narasimhan Brains, Art & Craft Work, Maths Quiz, and while the Trophy was handed over to the Co-opted Director Riddles & Puzzles. In addition, there were winning team jointly by Rtn President Ravi Rtn. Cherian K. Baby three talks/presentations by Rtn D Narasimhan and first Venkatesh on Leadership, Rtn Suman lady Indrani. Club Trainer Shankar on Communication and by Wg Cdr Rtn. Shivdev Deshmudre The performance of the (Rtd) DP Sabharwal on Ideas which were students in all events followed up by an exercise on Ideas except Art and Craft as Club Co-ordinator regarding the uses to which a 'Paper-clip' can Rtn. Samir Gupta noticed from the marks Guru Nanak, ) Scientists (Homi Bhabha, Ramanujan, SN Bose, CV Raman), Sportsperson (, , PV Sindhu, Pankaj Advani). Highest score was 10 followed by second highest 9. Just a few more scored seven and six. More than half the students scored 5 or less! In their feedback, students appreciated the ambiance of Shishu Mandir as well as the meals: breakfast and lunch. The event that was most liked by the participants was Art and Craft, in which students were given a A-4 size sheet and asked to make anything without the use of any aids like pins, tape, glue etc. This 15 minutes activity produced really excellent & outstanding work by many students and the judges had a really difficult task to name the final winners. The first prize winner was a 'lotus flower' while the second prize was a 'family of butterflies.' All the three presentations were liked by the participants. However the most liked presentation was 'Communications' by Rtn Suman Shankar. Many students expressed a desire that 'RYLA' should have obtained was moderate to poor. However, it was really poor been of a longer duration' and that there should have been in Personalities Quiz in which they were shown 20 pictures group activities (these are features of our normal 2-days in five categories namely Artists (, Ravi RYLA event) which, alas, we could not have this year due to Shankar, , MS Subbalakshmi), Nation Builders Covid19! The best feedback we got however was: 'I just enjoyed.' (TN Seshan, Verghese Kurien, E Sreedharan, MS Wg Cdr(Rtd) DP Sabharwal Swaminathan), Saints (Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekanand, Director, Youth Services. An Afternoon's Reflections

It's coffee time, this afternoon, I picked up 6 cups as I usually Many couples of our age group I am sure, are already in the do, but realise that all are out at work, and there's a need only zone and club of empty nesters, We too would join them for two. pretty soon. “Will be home by 7”, is what I had heard both my sons and Knowing fully well that this is the reality of the husband yell, As they stepped out to work this morning after next phase, I decided that I should and must fully a year long interval. well brace. It's almost a year now since the world was thrown into a So I sought help from our ever so reliable and frenzy, When the virus from Wuhan spread it's tentacles knowledgeable Google master, and without exponentially. doubt they did have plenty of advice to offer. Before long, it was declared a pandemic, Anxiety, You were known as a soccer mom, badminton Apprehension, Concern, Doubt and Fear reigned supreme in mom till now they say, go on and live your own everyone's mind for almost the entire year. identity, But who's to tell them that my Sanitisers, soaps, social distancing, shields and masks children's mom I prefer to be! became essentials, in fact mandatory; Lockdowns, Develop a hobby, follow your passion, they Quarantine, Testing, Isolation, were part of every household say, go hone a new skill, Little do they dictionary. know that I only need a hobby if I have too With work from home and virtual meetings being the new much time to kill. norm, At home for coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner, Your home, they say, will be quiet and clean No cups to clear, the attendance was in full bloom, which, before lockdown, no beds for tidying, No loud music or chatter for you to bear, was far thinner. but what's true is that the silence is deafening. With the vaccine reality round the corner and colleges, Once your kids are out on their own, I'm told, It's best you offices opening up in a staggered manner, We are slowly but downsize your entire household, And this advice I'll definitely surely inching closer to normalcy, in due time, if not sooner. take, to which, to ransom, my husband I'll hold. As I sat down and recalled the past, the present, in my mind I They'll soon find their own partners and will be on their way, began to ponder, What the future will be like, I slowly began And I with my old partner Will have to adjust and stay!! to wonder. But, I admit, it's the cycle of life, today it's my turn, tomorrow The prospect of children moving out of home in pursuit of theirs, acceptance is the key in order to have peace and it's work, higher studies or spouse, Which was on the back better to be prepared than be caught unawares. burner up until now, has risen again with full force. Ann Vinita Sivakumar Decoding Budget 20-21

On 11th February 2021, for our 33rd The last one is where I felt Mr.Doshi's meeting, we had Mr.Vikram Doshi as talk fell into, without in any way being the speaker. Mr.Doshi is a practicing boring of course –it was crisp, very chartered accountant, and a tax and informative and with a clear regulatory professional and is a subjective opinion voiced with facts partner at PwC and was brought to back his reasoning. in by our Rtn N V Sivakumar at short The optimism that he exuded was notice. certainly not misplaced as was Sivakumar also introduced the evident by the reeling of facts and speaker to those physically present data for the next 45 odd minutes, and joining virtually. some of the highlights being the huge The topic of his talk was “Decoding proposed spend on Infrastructure the Budget 2021-22”. that will truly have a multiplier effect, the current positive I recall reading recently online on 4 types of budget analyses: trends already such as the high GST collections announced › Category 1 : The shallow skincare routine. Give a shallow just before the budget – up by 10%. The tech sector is sensational twist. Tell us the bottom line. Is this good, demonstrating its high resilience to the pandemic, and the bad or ugly? Forget the analysis. Loved by : Television real silver lining being the Agri-sector showing very promising media. growth. › Category 2 : This budget is awesome. With a quote by The talk was an unbiased assessment of our budget from his prominent CXO explaining why this budget is the best own personal perspective that scores 10 on 10 for him budget ever. Loved by : Corporate India. considering the backdrop in which it was announced, the › Category 3 : The creative one. A morphed photo of the policy announcements that were made, and the vision with Finance Minister with six hands riding a tiger, while which it was presented. simultaneously slaying the deficit demon on the front Mr Doshi also answered with elan many questions that were cover. Loved by : Print and online media. asked . Those who raised questions whether physically › And then we have Category 4 : The deep autopsy. Lots of present or through “Zoom” were very satisfied with the analysts write columns in business newspapers using lots illuminating answers. of numbers. Big numbers. Useful, but usually quite Rtn Rohit Karanth Proposed the Vote of Thanks boring. Loved by : Financial analysts, chartered Rtn Rohit Karanth accountants. Rtn Vimla Pinto, Welcome to RCBC

Vimla Pinto, our newest member to join the family of RCBC is not new to Rotary. She joined Rotary Brigades in 2008-2009. The year she was introduced to the Club, she took on the responsibility of being the Bulletin Editor. Vimla also served as the Chairperson, Community Services for two years. She was then the Secretary of the Club for the year 2015-16 and President for the year 2016-17. Vimla is a PHF and a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation. She was awarded for Excellence in Service to humanity by Rotary International in recognition of exemplary humanitarian service, consistent with Rotary's motto “Service above self”. She was a contemporary of our Past president Prem Kurian as President of Rotary Brigades. Hence Prem was her proposer. She is an Advocate by profession and is a partner of the well-known law firm Dua Associates with the classification loaned to her being Business Law. She specialises in contracts and property matters among other things. She lives with her mother in D'Costa Square and RHL is well within easy reach of her daily commute and we are sure that we will see a lot more of her at our meetings. Rtn PP Prem Kurian 53 February 2021 – Month that went by...

RCBC February program roster 11th February we had a speaker was like an assorted platter, right from PWC. Vikram Doshi talked to us from health, finance (budget), a in simple layman's terms and said very professional talk like this budget is quite good. Rohith has governance and ethics and the written at length about his talk and month ended with a all time high the interaction we had with him. Pl attendance with a calm , see the separate report composed speaker who told us 18th February was a special meeting how to live a full life. indeed. After four months RCBC 4th February had a presentation inducted a new member to the club from ADRAG expert team. They (in this RY) and lady Rotarians told us how to identify whether cheered to have the fifth lady s o m e o n e i s a ffe c te d b y member to join the club. Ms Vimla Alzheimer or dementia but also Pinto, an advocate by profession, how a care giver should tackle was introduced by PP Prem Kurian the situation. Its affects one and inducted by PP Jasbir Singh socially, mentally and financially. Dhody. Since President, President What cancer once did to the elect and Immediate Past President society (fortunately could not attend due to separate reasons, PP Cherian Baby there is cure now) if presided over this meeting. diagnosed in time We also had a prolific speaker Prasad Chandran, Ex Managing c o r r e c t l y , b u t Director of BASF, who spoke about Governance & Ethics in Alzheimer/ Dementia Public life. He has an impressive credential to talk about such unfortunately has no a controversial subject. His presentation was appreciated by cure as yet, though all Rotarians present at RHL and those listened to him on the research is on. Zoom. In today's society the subject has much relevance. He Meeting ended with was introduced to the audience by Rtn T V Mohan who had Rtn Suman Shankar attended along with a prospective member & their spouses. giving vote of thanks. 54 Vote of Thanks was given by Rtn PP Ramdas Pai. On 25th February we had a Rotarian from Pune who addressed us through “Zoom” on “How to live a full life”. Rtn Raman Nanda the speaker is Founder of Step Transformations. He had a very calm personality and was soft spoken. I think he charmed everyone with his pre-program Video introduction. The highest ever attendance we had at this meeting after the first General Body Meeting. He touched all aspects of our life – financial, professional, spiritual and health. If all of us can discipline ourselves and follow his module, I am sure we can live an overall healthy life. Rotary Founder Paul Harris's birth anniversary was on 23rd February 2021. It was celebrated as "Rotary Day" across the globe. District 3190 had a day long program - Blood donation camp at Samsung Opera House, garlanding Paul Harris's bust at Lavelle Road circle and ended with a finale at Samsung Opera program. DG Nagedra Prasad and his District team members House in the evening.. RCBC was one of the lead clubs for this attended all programs" Rtn Sec Gargi Ojha

RCBC is Hybrid ready… that's the New Normal…

while some were still reserved on having physical meetings rightly so because of their age and for the fact the Pandemic hadn't yet gone away… but nevertheless this was still an issue for the club administration… So what do we do??? Out came out the obvious choice…Let's Go Hybrid… Now that was the easiest call to take… the point was how ??? With some wonderful ideas from Samir, Vinod and Nanda and the full backing of the Prez and the entire board, I initially set up a small team of Vinod and Nanda to get things into motion… Samir was full of ideas but with my limited understanding on all tech matters (read as tech challenged…)his suggestions just flew by my head… luckily Vinod and Nanda were tech adept... and we went on to do the set-up which included some cabling, converters, using our cell phones as cameras and upgrading the wi-fi set up at RHL… but we still faced some last mile issues and were breaking our head and that's where Samir shared his Over the last 35 years, we have always had regular Physical thoughts on what's to be done … but this time I wasn't going to meetings at our club premises till the Pandemic disrupted our let him go… I requested him to get involved and make the lives … In March last year the whole country was shut down by Hybrid work… and must appreciate him taking time to visit RHL the lockdown imposed and we at RCBC were left with no and get the system up and running… he ensured the cabling meetings for a couple of weeks like many Rotary clubs across was done right, got an HDMI convertor in place and along with India and perhaps the world… If we needed to meet, we a new laptop and a Video camera… and bingo… We were needed to change and adapt to a New Normal… that's Virtual Hybrid ready … So I would like to name Samir Gupta the Chief Meetings… Adapt we surely did and we were one of the few Architect in getting us Hybrid ready… early clubs to come out with Virtual Meeting using Zoom as a The first Hybrid meeting was held on Republic day and the platform. feedback from the members were quite encouraging… and There was excitement in the air… buzz all around and many of thus making us one of the very few clubs who are Hybrid us were pretty excited to finally meet up during the Lockdown ready… time… of course virtually and we did have a record turnout of I would like to end by thanking all members for their wonderful members for our first Virtual meeting… and thus many months support and encouragement… and do let us have your passed with us having Virtual meetings and like all things in life feedback for us to improve on our delivery… this too became passe … fatigue set in and the turnout started Rtn. IPP Bharath Bail dipping and some members were keen on a physical meet RHL Chair 5 Letter Writing...a perspective

non-existent currency unit now). He bought them in bulk. We are a large South Indian family and he was the head of the family staying in a small town near Hassan. The family was spread across the country and so, he took it upon himself to keep us “Posted” on all the News. Each post card that he wrote by hand, had all these features – a number at the top left corner, the word “Safe” written on the top line in the centre and date (on which the letter was written) on the top right corner. The number at the top “You've got Mail”...was a popular Hollywood movie. It left corner signified the portrayed the way two unknown persons corresponded number of letters that he had written from the start of the using the then new concept of emails. It showed how year. The word “Safe” indicated that everything was hunky- thoughts got exchanged instantly, how emotions were dory at home. The letter started with an endearment to the articulated and how events unfolded based on these emails. addressee. The first paragraph was dedicated to the main That is passé now. If you have no email account, life as we are reason for writing (if it was a special letter). In the letter to me living today would be incomplete! for example, he wrote saying that he had heard my singing over the Radio, that it had come out well but he could not get But, let us take a peek into olden times and how Letter writing a clear broadcast. The next paragraph/s gave news about the evolved to this stage. Not too long ago in time, say about 50 family such as events, marriages fixed or planned, news years ago, people corresponded with each other through about children or illnesses (if any) to others in the clan. Then hand written Letters...now called Snail Mail. Business letters came the paragraph with local politics and significant apart, there was regular correspondence with Friends and developments in the town. The last paragraph told us about Relatives through Letters that were “Posted” in those Red the weather in his town before he signed off. coloured Post Boxes. The Postal Department of the Government handled this massive burden of letters flying The gist of this letter was re-written in a Diary that he back and forth. The Sepoy running with the stick fixed with maintained with appropriate indexes. So, we could never bells on one hand and the postal articles around his shoulders complain about not receiving letters from him. Each day he was quite a sight! Later these used to be delivered by a person wrote about 5 or 6 letters and posted them by late afternoon on a bicycle and when started doing this job it was a to catch the last clearance for the day. He took a nap after revolution! that. Letters were written in his clear and neat hand writing in a font size that I find hard to copy even today! Slowly as Technology took over, and people's lives changed to keep them busy...either creating new technology, learning Such was the passion for letter writing. There was an equal about them or putting them to use the scene changed quite amount of joy in receiving the letters as well. We were not dramatically. Correspondence was now through Telephones haunted by privacy or security issues then. Schools gave as there was no time for writing or typing out letters. importance to letter writing. I remember that we were asked Moreover the Environment activists recommended lesser to carry a post card with our home address already written, use of Paper. The romance that surrounded Letters was when we took an Educational out-station trip from school. gone...till technology gave us another opportunity with the We wrote the letter upon arrival at our destination and use of emails. posted it the next day. My tryst with letter writing has continued and during my visit to Switzerland sometime ago, I Letter writing has played an important role in many people's posted a letter to my sister from atop the Jung-Frau lives. Who can forget the letters written by Pandit Jawaharlal mounntain! Nehru to his young daughter Indira, or in more recent times, those written by Poet and Lyricist Gulzar to his daughter Letter writing was simpler, I feel, before Auto-correct and Meghna. Letters and letter writing was romanticised in Spell check took over our lives and prompted us with their movies too. Remember the song “Chitti aatee hai”, sung own (mis)understanding of our thoughts. Emotions are soulfully by Pankaj Udhas? My own Grandfather, a well read sometimes expressed as emojis these days. Words are man, had this un-compromising style of letter writing, which I shortened to their smallest size and we are expected to know would like to detail. It was so unique that I have preserved his short forms of emotions too...”lol” for example! last letter to me. With all these changes, are we on the verge of a different style He lived in the era of Post Cards. Those days they came of communication? I wonder! printed with a Stamp on them and it cost all of 15 Paise (a Ann Indrani Narasimhan

56 E D I T O R I A L

particularly among women w h o e i t h e r h o l d u p defecation & urination through artificial means or worse still stop drinking water for long hours resulting in many other problems. The compulsion to use open areas also is something that affects the dignity of the people concerned particularly women.

Rotary has had several projects in the area of water & sanitation. Whether it I water for irrigation or drinking water these have got Rotary's attention. Rotar y WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) program in schools was started before Corona made i t m a n d a t o r y a n d fashionable! Even in our Rotary meeting we have had school children coming and Rotaractors on a water project demonstrating the right way to wash hands. March is designated as the Water & thus reducing the risk of wide spread It takes more than installing sanitation S a n i t a t i o n m o n t h b y R o t a r y diseases. We see a spike in diseases facilities for a WASH project to succeed International. We are living at a time caused by water borne bacteria during in the long term. It's also important to when many thinkers predict that next the monsoon season as cloudy skies do cultivate healthy habits. Good hygiene world war will be for Water. As alternate not permit sanitisation by the sun and practices can reduce diseases such as energy sources particularly renewable free flowing surface water takes it cholera, dysentery, and pneumonia by sources like solar energy becoming everywhere infecting a wide cross nearly 50 percent. Washing hands with more accessible and affordable the section of our people! soap can save lives as COVID 19 has importance of fossil fuels are expected Rotary has realised the importance of taught us once again! to wane in the next ten years. good and safe water as well as good We have had projects to give drinking Just as important is sanitation as lack of sanitisation as very important part of its water facility in Kolar, building of proper sanitation is the cause for many community service. In the past we have washrooms for children & teachers in epidemics that the world has seen and seen many projects for making water schools which did not have them in and continuous to be seen in many countries available for drinking and irrigation as around our RHL as significant programs including India. Most us believe that the well as construction of toilets to in this area. Cleaning up the highly tropical climate used to disinfect most of improve sanitisation. Lack of proper polluted water of Ulsoor Lake was the waste that we deposit in the open toilets has led to several diseases another project taken up by us including filing of a public interest litigation in this but many of them didn't always meet children, who now have the time to regard. Similarly a project to clean up a the actual demands of the community,” attend school.” This is the power of such large tank near Bidadi helped to revive says F. Ronald Denham, a founding interventions by Rotarians. pisciculture there providing livelihood member and chair emeritus of the The weather has changed and in to several fisher men. These are projects Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Bangalore summer is staring at us with which have gone down into the annals Group. The group, formed in 2007, temperatures soaring. It is also making of our history! stresses a needs-based approach and the hopes to soar as the government has sustainability in projects. Rotaract clubs and Interact clubs have announced COVID vaccination for also played a major part in projects In the past, equipment and facilities seniors and those above 45 years with connected with Water & Sanitation were usually installed properly and some health challenges. Hopefully it will received well, but the local ownership, protect all soon. What other challenges Our members have also been active on education, and sustainability were will come our way, we don't know now! these projects through other sometimes lacking. Communities often We can only pray! institutions. The work done by our Hon did not receive enough support to member Padmashree Aloysius Prakash While on the subject of prayer which is manage the projects independently for Fernandez in building check dams and very much on the lips of all believers in the long term. providing other water conservation & these difficult times, Christians have soil conservation through afforestation One obstacle to sustainability: the extra prayers being “The Great Lent” are legendary as part of his service in ongoing human involvement that's period leading upto Good Friday and MYRADA. Now we have huge drinking required. Hence the need to sensitise all Easter. For Catholic & Orthodox water project being taken up by our stakeholders on the sustainability angle. Christian denominations it is also most energetic Past President accompanied by some sort of The Rotary Club of Nakuru, Kenya, now Ramachandran Seshagiri. The list is abstinence from non-vegetarian food, provides materials and teaches families much longer but I will leave it here. liquor etc. or just giving up those worldly how to build their own 10,000-liter things that one likes best! Though rain water harvesting programs tanks. Each family is responsible for the have been done very successfully by our labour and maintenance. With a $50 This issue of the Banner has a very Chennai Rotarians in a big way in investment, a family can collect enough interesting Article by the first lady Ann Bangalore I have not seen this being water to get through the dry season. Indrani Narasimhan, a poem written in a given as much attention. The facility in special mood by Ann Vinita Sivakumar To date, the project has funded the RHL itself does not get much attention which reflects on the COVID Times, a construction of more than 3,000 tanks, presently. The Rotary Club of Madras - good report on the Interact RYLA by Rtn bringing clean water to about 28,000 Annanagar of which I was a member, Sabharwal, a report on the hybrid people. Family members no longer have before I relocated to Bangalore had rain meetings by IPP Bharath and of course a to walk several miles per day to collect water harvesting as a major project. report on the weekly meetings and water, a task that often fell to women district event where we were a lead club In countries like Lebanon where the and children. by Rtn Sec Gargi further supplemented country was badly fractured through As owners of the tanks, women are by a separate report on the meeting religious, cultural and political empowered to reimagine how their where the Central Budget was decoded differences, Rotary has successfully households work. And with the help of by Rtn Sargent Rohith. I am extremely overcome these differences and microloans they get through the Rotary thankful to all for their support. brought together various national & clubs, mothers are running small international Agencies to deliver clean As usual Samir & continues to businesses and generating income drinking water to all public schools in support me with bringing this out. My instead of fetching water. the country. special thanks are also due to Ann Indu “With ownership comes liberation, not Sridhar for discovering another poet in “All Rotary water and sanitation projects just for the mothers but for their our midst. are full of heart and well-intentioned, Cherian K. Baby

This newsletter is for private circulation only.

Rotary Club of Bangalore Cantonment Published by: Editor : Rtn. Ravi Narasimhan Rotary House of Learning, 11. Promenade Road Rtn. K. Cherian Baby President Bengaluru - 560 005. Phone: 25512657 / 43700877